SIG Engineering Skills - Complementing the Conventional: Engineering Competencies and Skills for an Uncertain Future
Lynn van den Broeck (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven)
Neil Cooke (University of Birmingham)
Matteo Di Benedetti (University of Sheffield)
Thies Johannsen (Technical University of Berlin)
Emanuela Tilly (University College London)
Jennifer Griffiths (University College London)
Ann Kristin Winkens (RWTH Aachen University)
Helena Kovacs (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
Rafaella Manzini (LIUC Università Carlo Cattaneo)
Roger Hadgraft (University of Technology Sydney)
Gillian Saunders-Smits (TU Delft - Mechanical Engineering)
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Abstract
This workshop, inspired by the SEFI SIG Engineering Skills' Position Paper on Skills (SEFI, 2025), focusesd on defining skills in curricula to meet the challenge of a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world. The position paper advocates for a comprehensive framework that equips future engineers with cognitive, social, and ethical competencies, alongside technical skills. Workshop participants, including engineering educators, policymakers, and industry professionals, engaged in reflection and peer-to-peer dialogue to map current skills and identify areas for improvement. The workshop facilitated the co-design of strategies to integrate technical, transferable, and transdisciplinary skills ("3T skills") - into practice, fostering engineers capable of addressing global and societal challenges with creativity, collaboration, and social responsibility. The workshop began with an overview of the key concepts from the position paper, followed by a self-reflective mapping activity. Small-group discussions allowed participants to compare experiences and identify gaps in skills development. The collaborative phase focused on practical strategies for embedding these skills, informed by the position paper's recommendations. The workshop concluded with a plenary discussion, where participants shared insights
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